New Orleans Tours & Vacations

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travelers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travelers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

Depending on where you travel from, New Orleans is pretty easy to get to.

You can arrive in New Orleans by car from neighboring cities such as Baton Rouge and Lafayette, or if you are a bit further away, flying to New Orleans is another good option.

The distance between New Orleans Airport and the French Quarter is only 15 miles and will take roughly 45 minutes.

If you're staying within the French Quarter, the best way to get around is definitely on foot.

The streets in the French Quarter are sometimes narrow, and there tends to be a bit of traffic during peak periods.

If you want to travel outside the Quarter, catching a ride on one of New Orleans' iconic streetcars, renting a vehicle, hopping in a taxi, or riding a bike are more suitable forms of transportation.

New Orleans has a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and short, mild winters. Rainfall is high throughout the year, and even more so during the summer, so make sure you pack your umbrella... you'll need it!

Sizzling temperatures and humidity create a perfect storm (literally) for hurricanes between June and November, and although they're rare, rainstorms are fairly common and can cause flooding across the city.

The humidity can be oppressive, so if you're planning a summer trip you may be better off taking refuge indoors with aircon during the day, and doing most of your exploring in the early mornings and evenings when it's cooler.

When traveling to New Orleans, it's essential to read what weather to expect.

The temperatures in New Orleans can often fluctuate throughout the day in some seasons.

Regardless of when you're going, New Orleans is quite a humid place, so it's best to pack hot weather clothes so you won't be too uncomfortable.

We'd also recommend packing an umbrella if you're traveling during Winter or Fall and some appropriate wet-weather shoes.

You should always remember to pack sunscreen and apply it outside, even if the day looks overcast.

There are no beaches close to the French Quarter or New Orleans.

The closest area where you can tan, swim and play other beach-related sports is Coconut Beach, a man-made attraction about a 15-minute drive from Kenner, Louisiana.

If you have access to a car and a day to spare, traveling to Pass Christian Beach is also an option, located 1 hour from New Orleans' city limits.

New Orleans is a trendy city among both locals and tourists alike, thanks to its fascinating history, beautiful architecture, and reputation for having fun. The City of New Orleans is located close to other states. It is a popular destination for weekends away, as well as longer vacations. Driving to New Orleans might be the best option if you live in one of the surrounding states or cities. Below is how far New Orleans is from its neighboring regions by car: 

• New Orleans is roughly 81 miles away from Baton Rouge, making the journey by car just over an hour. 
• Travelling from Biloxi to New Orleans would take roughly 1 hour and 20 minutes, as the journey is 91 miles. 
• The city of Pensacola is just over 200 miles away from New Orleans. To travel there by car, it would take you just under 3 hours. 
• New Orleans is 205 miles away from Lake Charles, so the car journey would take roughly 2 hours and 50 minutes. 
• If you're road-trippin' your way from Houston to New Orleans, it will take you 4 hours and 50 minutes to reach your destination, with the journey being 347 miles. 

It's not known exactly where the nickname the 'Big Easy' came from or when it started circulating. It is widely believed that it was introduced in the 1900s as a direct comparison to 'New York City's Big Apple.'

New York was considered a bustling place where things were happening all the time. New Orleans was seen as the opposite; a city with a relaxed, laidback lifestyle.

Historically, New Orleans is quite a haunted city thanks in part to its spooky and troubled past. The cemeteries in New Orleans make up some of the most haunted places in this city, with ghostly apparitions sighted and eerie noises heard among the tombstones.

These are the most haunted cemeteries in New Orleans: 

• St. Louis #1 Cemetery 
• St. Roch Cemetery 
• Lafayette #1 Cemetery 
• Metairie Cemetery 

We are committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. We do our best to help you see the world, regardless of physical or mental limitations. 

We are always happy to talk to travelers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them toward the most suitable itinerary for their needs and, where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.